We, the Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), meeting at our twentieth Ordinary Session, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 27 and 28 January 2013:
DEEPLY CONCERNED about the security situation in Mali, as well as the continuing deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the northern part of the country;
REITERATING OUR FIRM COMMITMENT to the national unity and territorial integrity of the Republic of Mali;
NOTING that the continued occupation of the northern part of Mali by various armed, criminal and terrorist groups is a serious threat to peace, security and stability in Mali, the region and beyond;
REAFFIRMING Africa's deep solidarity with Mali, a founding member of the OAU and of our Union, whose commitment to Pan-Africanism and the determination to pool our efforts together to help this sisterly country overcome the challenges currently facing it;
WELCOMING the progress being made in Mali towards addressing the challenges at hand, in particular the adoption of the Transition Roadmap;
EXPRESSING OUR DEEP APPRECIATION to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the core countries, the other African countries contributing troops and all bilateral and multilateral partners, and ACKNOWLEDGING IN THAT RESPECT the substantial assistance extended by France in these trying moments for Mali;
FURTHER REAFFIRMING our previous and ECOWAS decisions on the situation in Mali.